Refugium Jacket- warmth vs gadget charging

I hate to mention it, but it’s rapidly becoming autumn. (Well, it’s probably already autumn but since I live trapped in front of a computer screen then I wouldn’t really know.) And after autumn comes winter. And that means one thing- coldness.

This year (should I get a significant raise!) I hope to be packing the Refugium Jacket from Mountain Hardware. As jackets go it probably wouldn’t hold up on the catwalk, although it is a bit more stylish than your usual outdoor gear. But the really genius thing is the inbuilt heating. Yeah baby!

Powered by Lithium Ion batteries, the Refugium can keep you warm and toasty for just shy of nine hours (about the length of time it takes British Rail trains to battle through the wrong kind of snow). The heat pads are located in the back and chest panels of the jacket, padded so you don’t feel the lumps (and presumably so you don’t burst into flame X-Files style) and have three different heat settings, so you can choose to be a little bit warm or full on boiling.

But (I hear you cry) what about if you don’t need to use that lovely battery power to keep warm? Some men I know are just pure radiator. Seems a shame to waste all that power. Well, delve into the pockets my friend and you shall find a handy USB connector to charge all your gadgets with (it sounds like there’s a USB to mini-jack adaptor so that’s a lot more useful than it first sounds!)

Now, my only concern, except the afore mentioned spontaneous combustion, is when it rains. We all know that electricity and water don’t mix. Ok, so it’s evidently going to be well covered, but I’m a very accident prone person (I fall over in flat shoes. On flat ground. On a day with no wind.) so I can easily imagine falling over and the inevitable wear and tear causing holes which will let the rain in. I’m probably being paranoid though- since it’s recognised brand name gear I bet they’ll have thought of all that. (I just hope they made the heating bits shock resistant or you’ll stop being heated all over as they get knocked squiffy and end up hanging around your bum!)

Here’s the biggest kicker for this coat- it’ll cost you $375. And I thought Regatta was expensive! If you want one, they’re available now at the Mountain Hardwear website